This assignment is due Tues 23rd January in class. Your answers
for each question should be no longer than a few paragraphs. Be
succinct!

1. Research viruses in your textbook (ch.29, pp.575-578). In a
paragraph, discuss arguments for and against the idea that viruses
are alive.

2. Based on the recent class discussions and reserve readings,
which hypothesis of the origin of life do you feel has the greatest
merit? State reasons why you advocate this hypothesis.

3. "Form equals Function" is a fundamental principle in biology.
In the case of biomolecules, describe how polarity/nonpolarity
accounts for

a) the 3-dimensional structure of a protein

b) presence of proteins in the plasma membrane

c) chemical message recognition by membrane proteins (this last
part will require some speculation and perhaps advanced reading).

4. Why are fats good long-term energy storage compounds?

5. In a paragraph, describe the origin of eukaryotic cells using
the terms: endosymbiosis, membranes, compartmentalization, and
prokaryotes.

Take-Home
Problem Set 2 (due 2/06/01)

This assignment is due Tues 6th February in class. Your answers
for each question should be no longer than a few paragraphs. Be
succinct!

1. Compare and contrast chemiosmosis in chloroplasts and
mitochondria.

2. Compare and contrast cyclic vs. non-cyclic
photophosphorylation.

3. Why and how does the electron transport chain produce
significantly more ATP than glycolysis or the Krebs Cycle?

4. It is well established that animals with high numbers of
mitochondria also tend to generate high amounts of metabolic heat.
Explain why this occurs with respect to the Laws of Thermodynamics,
and the maximal efficiency of cellular respiration.

5. (hint: you will need to research this question in your
textbook). Plants that live in arid environments must conserve water.
With the use of diagrams, describe two strategies that have evolved
that allow these plants to efficiently fix carbon while minimizing
water loss through stomata.